SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE IN FEBRUARY

Goochland, VA – The Goochland County Public Schools will join 133 other school divisions throughout the state to celebrate School Board Appreciation Month in February. Almost 850 elected and appointed school board members throughout Virginia will be recognized by schools and communities for their service and dedication to public education.

The theme of this year’s celebration, “Local Schools, Local Decisions,” reflects the importance of ensuring that the future of public education remains in the hands of the community it serves. Local school boards keep the public in charge of public schools, since they represent their community’s beliefs and values.

“The foundation of our mission is ensuring maximized learning opportunities for all students,” said Dr, James Lane, superintendent. “We’re proud of our division, and School Board Appreciation Month is the time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our elected trustees.”

In Goochland, school board members must develop policies and make tough decisions on complex educational and social issues impacting the entire community. They bear responsibility for an annual budget of $27.7 million, approximately 2,400 students and over 430 employees.

“School board members statewide make decisions that affect 1.3 million Virginia children and more than $3 billion,” notes Lane, “They work to preserve the core of our democracy—public education.”

The men and women serving on the Goochland County school board are chairman Michael E. Payne, vice-chairman John L. Lumpkins, Jr., Elizabeth A. Hardy, W. Kevin Hazzard, and John D. Wright.